Yay for Strawberry Days!

Summer in Utah brings about one thing for most cities: a summer festival.  Every week of the summer, a different city throws a big festival/carnival.  My personal favorite is PG's Strawberry Days.  Just about every year, I go to the rodeo (with all of the other hicks that come out of the woodwork) and enjoy me some strawberries and cream.  This year was no different.

A rodeo is a fine form of entertainment.  My grandfather was a heeler in the team roping event back in the day.  Once upon a time he bought me a pretty pink lasso and attempted to teach me to use it.  Never quite got the hang of it, but it sure looked snazzy!

Possibly my favorite part of the rodeo is the pre-rodeo Mutton Bustin'.  For those who haven't discovered their inner-hick yet, Mutton Bustin' usually involves two events and the competitors are children.  In the first, young children get all dressed up and attempt to ride sheep for as long as they can.  None usually last long and the majority end up in tears.  It is probably one of the last forms of legal child abuse, but SO entertaining.

One of my first rodeo memories was going with my family and a family of friends.  All of us kids were entered into the second Mutton Bustin' event: the Cash Cow.  Here are the basics: there is a cow covered with dollar bills that is let loose into the arena.  All of the kids are then allowed to chase the cow and try to grab as many of the bills as they can.  I remember wearing my red cowboy boots, running as fast as I could towards the cow, but quickly falling to the back of the pack.  Then, before I knew it, the cow made a U-turn and I found myself with arm outstretched about to grab a bill when some kid pushed me from behind and knocked me down.  So I didn't end up with anything but the memory.

Yes, I enjoy the rodeo.  AND there were fireworks right after the rodeo this year. :)

Grateful that my loving husband will go with me to the rodeo even though the animals stuff up his nose!

This year, we participated in a bit more of Strawberry Days by going to the parade.  I'm not usually much of a parade person.  You have to leave early to find a place to park, walk an indeterminable distance to the route, stake out a spot, sit and wait for the parade, and then fight traffic once it is all over.  But I know Jason likes parades and my little brother was marching in the parade as drum major for Timpanogos High School, so I sucked it up.

My sharp-looking, talented, younger brother

And I actually rather enjoyed myself.  While we were waiting the parade, we indulged in more strawberries and cream, popcorn, french toast sticks, and cotton candy.  It was a beautiful summer morning, meaning lots and lots of sunshine for Kaysie.  Plus it was fun to support my brother and meet up with some family members.

And now Strawberry Days has come to an end, until next year!